Present day wireless devices commonly afford the ability to communicate with other devices when situated in different locations. Many wireless technologies support communications by scanning for available communications links such as wireless networks. Scanning may take place automatically and periodically in order to ensure that a wireless device can establish or maintain a wireless communications link as needed. Such automatic scanning for networks may consume substantial power and may lead to reduced time between charging of a wireless device if the wireless device is unconnected to an external power source.
In order to address this issue, in present day devices the frequency for scanning for networks may be set to compromise between the need to maintain communications links and the need to reduce power consumption and extend battery life of the wireless device. However, such compromise may still result in excessive power use for periods when a wireless device is relatively stationary such that wireless device remains within a wireless communications range of given network. In such cases, the need to scan for wireless networks is reduced since communications with the current network are likely to be maintained. Moreover, the rate of scanning for new networks may be too low in situations in which the wireless device is transported in a rapid manner such that available access points in a wireless network environment surrounding the wireless device may rapidly change.
Accordingly, there may be a need for improved techniques to solve these and other problems.